Gulf countries deny rejecting Egypt's defence force proposal at Doha summit

A Gulf official has denied a report that Gulf countries rejected an Egyptian proposal for a NATO-style Arab defense force at a recent Doha summit. The original report, citing an Egyptian diplomat, claimed the proposed force was meant to shield member states from external threats, particularly Israel. According to the diplomat, the proposal failed due to US pressure and disagreements over leadership between Egypt and Saudi Arabia. The unnamed Gulf official, however, called these claims false and stated that no such proposal was ever formally put forward during the summit.